


What Do We Want? LOVE!

by cherri_cola



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1980s, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Fluff, HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Partners in Crime, Pride, Protests, San Francisco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 15:31:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16935858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherri_cola/pseuds/cherri_cola
Summary: Who'd have thought he'd find a cute boy at his rally for lgbt rights?





	What Do We Want? LOVE!

**Author's Note:**

> ahhh...
> 
> this is like my first time writing gyuhao....

It doesn't take one much to realise just how shitty everything is for those struggling as a minority have it.

  


It's much harder when you're not only someone who's lgbt but living as Asian and being forced to fit into the 'American Dream.'

  


The American Dream is just something fabricated by white people to make their country seem so much better than it truly is but all it is is a smudge on the map with next to no benefits for those who are consistently under the pressures from not only politics but also family.

  


America isn't exactly a safe family home, but it's his home and he'll make his voice mean something. He needs to be heard, he can't simply be left behind, quiet and voiceless when there's so much for them to do.

  


There's too much that needs to change for those younger, they're already forced to deal with so much blatant racism, but the homophobia on top of it all is something truly horrific.

  


As people, they deserve better, which is why he works hard to organise these protests to bring awareness to the troubles that they face. There's so much that's dangerous for them, there's not only the fear of being outed but the fear of contracting a deadly disease.

  


AIDs is a killer, it's caused him to lose so many friends and family. Mingyu doesn't consider his immediate family as family, the only thing that bonds them together is the fact that they're blood related. 

  


He has friends who he considers family, they may not be blood-related but they're related through their own love and struggles. They all met when they first started meeting up to organise these protests.

  


They always get shut down, told to be quiet, told that they're breaking the law or rules. The police always arrive at some point, it's routine and it's unfair because there are countless protests to counter them.

  


They come from the church just because it goes against some book that was written thousands of years ago. 

  


The church has their own problems, maybe if they didn't focus so much on people trying to earn their rights and healthcare then maybe they wouldn't have as many problems.

  


He chews on the end of his pen as he looks down at the unfinished poster in front of him, pursing his lips.

  


He isn't one who's very creative, that's more Jihoon's job, who's off somewhere else right now so it's left to him.

  


  


It's frustrating, trying to come up with all of this but it's better than having to sort it all out alone. There are already flyers all around the San Francisco area, they're not only all over the city but there's one on the fridge of the share house he's currently living in. 

  


There's enough people going, but the one thing that always stops them is the fear.

  


  


There's so much fear when it comes to standing up for your community, but there's nothing that warms his heart more than seeing young people at pride for the first time.

  


He begins to laugh as he begins to outline the letters on the poster, letting out small giggles as he recalls seeing Jihoon cry for the first, and only, time at pride. He remembers his first time organising one of these events, how to overcome he'd been with pride in himself.

  


He's never been this comfortable or happy with himself, he's never felt this content in his body. It makes him feel so light, so warm as he realises he's giving so many poeple the support he never experienced.

  


People are surprisingly unloving and cold when it comes to pride, they don't care for their folk. If they cared they'd be fighting alongside them for proper healthcare and affordable treatment, they'd be trying to help people stop using old syringes and instead supply new ones.

  


They wouldn't turn their back on those who are left to forget what the 'American Dream' is supposed to be. 

  


America isn't a place for all, it's a place for those who fit the mould. They fit into some systematic number, they're like the expensive dolls you find baby girls holding in the shops.

  


They're tied to a backdrop by the little wires, intricately tied into an impossible to undo knot. They have blank eyes, straight hair, empty smiles and a serial number stamped somewhere. It could be on the bottom of their feet, in their eyes, on their hip. 

  


It's as if they want to be nothing more than a serial number. They never fight against the wires that tie them to a fake utopia. 

  


America isn't great, America is a hell and it's his duty to at least try and change it because that's the least he can do.

  


The least he can do is make sure it's somewhere he'd want to grow up in, not somewhere that makes him feel alienated and hated. He knows that his family moved because the political climate in Korea is nowhere near safe, his father and mother were terrified for him and themselves.

  


Yet, he misses home more than ever.

  


He misses the food, he misses seeing his friends every day. He misses being able to spend his time with those who really mattered to him.

  


There aren't many like him in San Francisco, he has Jihoon and Soonyoung, but they spend more time with each other than anyone else.

  


They're always together, joined at the hip but Jihoon doesn't particularly want people to know that. He always takes his hand out of Soonyoung's, or walks slightly ahead of him. 

  


Soonyoung puts up with it though, which is nice to see because Jihoon had left a home that was much worse than his own.

  


  


He looks down at the sign sitting in his lap, it's rather small and one that doesn't need a wooden stick. The letters are each different colours, each one from the flag that he holds so close to his heart.

  


He feels slightly proud as he looks over his work, smiling to himself.

  


_'AID us to SAVE us._

_  
_

_Don't end us."_

 

  


It isn't the best saying for a sign but it's cute he thinks. It cycles through each colour, with a syringe coloured so the liquid inside looks black instead of white.

  


It's simple, but tact and gets the point accross.

  


He puts it to the side before standing up from his seat. He stretches his hands up into the air, letting out a yawn. He feels his shoulder blades moving back into place as he rolls them back to fix his posture.

  


It's a relief to do so, and it feels good to let go of all the tension like that. He wishes that a fix for bigotry was as simple as rolling your shoulders back to reset everything, but that's really not how it works.

  


He walks into the small kitchen, there are posters all over the walls of the house from people he barely sees around. There are lots of folk who come and go, they don't always stay but they never fail to promote their own gigs or their own friends.

  


It's nice he thinks, even if not many people choose to stay for long, they'll come and say every once in a while.

  


He turns around when he hears the door creak open, it's Jihoon with Soonyoung trailing a few meters behind him.

  


"Did you get anything done for the rally tomorrow, Gyu?"

  


Mingyu just nods his head towards the pile of finished posters and banners that sit atop the small wooden table. They walk over, not waiting for him.

  


They don't usually wait considering their rather impatient poeple, they don't particularly enjoy being held up either which makes sense. 

  


Mingyu prefers to stop and smell the roses as people say, his mind isn't as fast paced. 

  


"Mingyu, this is all so cool!"

  


He can hear the two of them flipping around the boards and banners, looking through them to make sure there are enough for everyone going.

  


"Ah, thank you Soonyoung, my back feels like someone's left a weight on it all day."

  


"So it feels like Jihoon's been sitting on your back all day?"

  


Mingyu hears something being thrown and a muffled shout. He just lets our a small laugh as he hears fast footsteps as Soonyoung begins running through the share house, running right past him so they begin to go up to the second level.

  


The stairs creak under their weight, saw dust falls from the top and he realises that they should probably get renovations soon. There aren't many who really live here anymore though, considering most who do are apart of the gay scene in San Francisco,

  


There are a few who have passed away in the hospital, and most moving away due to their own apprehensions about sharing a home with a bunch of others like them.

  


It isn't a problem, they get routine checks even though most of them haven't dared touch another man since the beginning of such a crisis because it's dangerous.

  


There's a fear that's began to pollute them, it doesn't just pollute their minds but their bodies, it seeps into their bones, it drenches their soul. 

  


Everyone knows someone who's passed, everyone knows someone who's been cursed with a positive result from the doctor.

  


There's a supposed cure, but it's unaffordable. They only wish to keep the rich alive, and it's the rich who fuel America as a county. They're the driving force of good and evil and who's in power, they have the most influence over those in this country and it's not something that's fair.

  


It needs to change, not only for them, but for everyone. There are so many people who deserve a fair chance but are suffocated and choked by the system.

  


He won't be just a number, and he knows that every person he knows won't be a number.

  


They won't just be some pretty doll, with a picture perfect background. They won't be forced into some fake utopia, they won't pretend that everything is fine because they're given a serial number.

  


They'll tear those wires off from their wrists, they'll break away from the picture perfect life that they're supposed to leave. They'll leave those behind who only hurt them and forge their own happiness.

  


They're so much stronger than people think, and it's this strength that will get them their rights. It is this strength that will be passed onto the younger generation. They will carry on their own legacy, screaming and shouting for their own justice.

  


Those who are going to be born will fight, they'll fight with a strength they didn't know they had and turn the fantasy of marriage into a reality.

  


But it starts here, it doesn't start there.

  


It starts right now as they fight for their healthcare, it started as soon as people began to declare that they were proud to be who they are.

  


It was started when pride was more than just a word. 

  


  


  


  


The crowd there is rather small for the beginning, but once everything gets started it'll only grow bigger. He feels rather silly as he runs around with a pride flag tied around his neck, the fabric rather comfortable.

  


Jihoon and Soonyoung are handing out signs and directing people where to go. They're standing outside city hall, just before the grass starts, his car is parked to the side, with rather loud music playing from it and a megaphone in the front seat.

  


It's still early, and they haven't began to make a fuss or any noise, yet the people walking by are still looking at them all as if there's something wrong. He can see that Jihoon is walking closer to Soonyoung than usual, their hands clasped together.

  


He feels his heart warm and a smile adorn his face as he looks around the crowd that's slowly beginning to gather. There are people coming up to him and his truck every now and then, taking signs and banners.

  


There are a few drag queens who've arrived and they're all standing at the very front. They're gorgeous, with their hair done perfectly so the seem to their wig is invisible, and their eye makeup is gorgeous. 

  


They've come to fight, to fight for them and make lives better. He lets out a low whistle when he notices how high their heels are, feeling a newfound respect wash over him. 

  


He doesn't know how they do it, how they can manage to walk around in such big shoes and not even wobble. He wishes he could get away with wearing those, but at six foot and two inches, he doesn't need any extra height.

  


He's prone to dabbling with makeup every once and a while, he loves more subtle colours though. He's wearing a small amount of glitter on his cheekbones and a shimmery silver eyeshadow.

  


The pride flag that sits on his shoulders as if a cape is a simple accessory, and something to make him only more energetic.

  


They begin to fill up more and more, everyone's voices mingling together to create something almost like a symphony.

  


On the other side of the street there's a man he's never seen before. He isn't dressed too flashy, but his jumper is rather colourful which suits the theme. It's cute, with yellow, green and red patterns. It's tucked into his pants that are slightly oversized, the pant legs wide but it's done up at the waist with a belt.

  


The belt is black, and done up rather tightly. Mingyu pretends not to notice how cute he is, with a petite waist and soft features. His hair's a light brown colour and his cheeks are slightly chubby and round, his jawline soft.

  


Mingyu isn't whipped, he's just interested in the cute boy standing at the corner handing out what look to be badges and banners.

  


There's a keychain dangling from his belt as well, a light green M, he thinks but he isn't sure.

  


He shakes his head, trying to ignore the man standing across from him and instead focus on the world around him and the people he's trying to organise.

  


He can see down the road, and there are hundreds. They fill it, from end to end, he isn't sure where Soonyoung and Jihoon have gone, but he can see that some of the signs have been taken from the back of his truck so they must have gone through the crowd further to the back. 

  


He reaches through the window of his truck, pulling the megaphone out before standing on the hood of it and looking at the crowd.

  


He smiles, waving at everyone, utter euphoria takes over him when he hears people begin to clap, applauding him nervously as he turns it on to begin speaking.

  


Shouting is something that doesn't need to be done when there's a microphone being used, though he may get a bit overemotional and begin to scream but that's okay.

  


They're here to scream after all, maybe shove some posters in some people's faces but nothing more or less.

  


Pride is safe, this is a safe space for all who come. People know that, there are always going to be misdeamnours but they're never intentional.

  


Mingyu takes a breath, lifting his hand into the air and curling it into a fist. He can hear his own voice, he can feel his heartbeat in his neck. He can hear his brain running, he feels as if he's ontop of the world.

  


_"Friends, family, today we are here to protest our Prime Minister's lack of action against a crisis that has caused us to lose too many. We all know someone who has suffered, or suffering, we know people who have died."_

 

  


Anger takes over, because he knows that this could be stopped. This could all be stopped if they had more information than just what was being in published in newspapers and doctor's assumptions, there would be more information if there was action taken.

  


They need action, they don't need someone who's simply going to ignore their needs to appeal to those in their pocket already.

  


_"We all know the devastation that wrecks havoc on our people and on this community that we have worked so hard to build from nothing."_

 

  


He hears people screaming, shouting their agreement, he looks around the crowd and his eyes fall on the man he'd seen earlier. There's a smile on his face and a homemade sign in his hand that he's pushing into the air.

  


_"They want us dead, they want us gone, our government have put nothing towards this despite the fear in our hearts and minds, there is so much we don't know. There is so much we don't understand, but if our government put funding towards our health then just maybe we can be safe again."_

 

  


He notices the way the folk on the fringes of the crowd are whispering, how they begin to walk the other way instead of engage. It doesn't break his heart, it doesn't make him upset because he's used to it.

  


It's something that he's seen every time he organises something, something that happens so often that he doesn't blink an eye anymore.

  


_"We deserve better."_

 

  


"WE DESERVE BETTER."

  


His palms are sweaty, and he can feel his hair sticking to his forehead. 

  


_"We deserve healthcare."_

 

  


"WE DESERVE HEALTHCARE."

  


He reaches behind him, pulling his flag around him to protect him. It's as if a shield, something to save him from the bad in the world. He doesn't need to be saved, but he needs to be protected.

  


There's so much happening, and none of it positive. 

  


They don't get positivity, they don't get happiness, they get treated as if they are no more than stray dogs. He knows that there are so many who even struggle to be themselves, and he knows that being intimate is terrifying to most.

  


He knows how terrified this community is, and there's nothing to be done but scream until something changes. 

  


He lifts the megaphone again, holding his flag to his chest as he looks directly at city hall.

  


_"I'm not afraid, none of us need to be afraid because we are strong. We are stronger than we think we are, we are here, we are QUEER and we are the only family we have so we will not give up, not until there is something done."_

 

  


He feels everything weighing down on him lift off of his shoulders, he feels his eyes start to water but he remains unwavering as he looks directly at city hall. He can hear everyone following his words behind him, everything coming together to create a cacophony of sound.

  


There's a chant going on behind him, everyone's words getting faster and faster.

  


"WE ARE HERE, WE ARE QUEER, WE ARE HERE, WE ARE QUEER, WE ARE HERE, WE ARE QUEER!"

  


He feels powerful, he feels thankful. He feels blessed to have so many fighting for the same thing, to have a family bigger than he can ever imagine. He doesn't need a mother, father, brother or sister when he has these people with him everywhere he goes.

  


Everyone's loud, they're all screaming with their fists in the air and their energy is something that Mingyu appreciates more than anyone could imagine.

  


He doesn't know the time, he just knows it's been at least an hour. It always goes faster than he thinks, and it always feels like it goes too quickly, as if sand running through his fingers.

  


He never feels as loved as he does when he's standing on the hood of his truck, a megaphone in hand and a speech to present.

  


_"Our president Ronald Raegan has done NOTHING to donate to this campaign, he has done nothing for us and we all know that so much more than nothing is needed-"_

 

  


Mingyu notices the crowd beginning to break up then, everyone scattering and falling away. He doesn't stop speaking though, he can't not when there are still so many willing to let their voices be heard.

  


_"Nothing isn't fair, nothing isn't what we want, we want research, we want answers. Everything we know is from doctors, or friends, or family, and the research being done is behind closed doors-"_

 

  


The crowd gets smaller, everyone's voices falling out of sync and that's when he sees the flashing light at the back of it.

  


Red and blue. 

  


The police are earlier than usual, and they're coming out from their car. There isn't just one, there are two or three behind them. The men open and shut the doors, and before Minhyu can do anything he sees the man from earlier running up to them.

  


His features suddenly aren't as soft, his mouth is set in a hardline and he's running up to them. 

  


As he pushes past through the crowd Mingyu meets his eyes and smiles, nudging his head towards him.

  


He stops walking towards them, instead making his way to standing just beside the truck, his mouth quirks up into a small smile and Mingyo feels a new type of warmth take over him.

  


"You looked like you were on a mission..."

  


"Minghao, that's my name."

  


Even his name is cute and Mingyu feels his heart stutter.

  


“Minghao…”

 

He doesn’t know why he feels the need to say his name back, he reaches forward to take his hand. His skin is soft and he feels his breath hitch.

 

He doesn’t know what’s possessed him but there’s just something so alluring about him. He smiles when he realises that he had been right.

 

It is a keychain in the shape of an M that hangs from his belt on a key ring, yellow leather outlining the green.

 

It’s cute, cute enough that Mingyu can’t help but loop his arm around Minghao’s waist to pull him in close.

 

He can feel Minghao’s breath and smell his cologne. He smells like vanilla ever so slightly and it’s intoxicating.

 

“I’m Mingyu, wanna piss off some cops?”

 

Minghao’s face breaks into a smile, and it’s dazzling and Mingyu swears he’s got whiplash from that smile alone.”

“That’s just what we exist to do, isn’t it?”

 

Minghao whispers, laughing at the end of his sentence.

 

His laugh is gorgeous, unforgettable and Mingyu never wants this moment to end. 

 

Without any thought, he leans forward and he feels Minghao’s lips press against his own.

 

He doesn’t know what he expected, and he wants to stay, here and now.

 

They hear cheering, shouting, whooping but most importantly they hear footsteps coming closer and closer to them as they’re being declared a public disturbance.

**Author's Note:**

> hello uwu
> 
> I hope you enjoyed and maybe I'll add chapters or make this into a series but for the moment this is just a oneshot loves!!
> 
> the fits they were wearing are based on [these](https://twitter.com/softieyms/status/1072010186699636737)  
> just by the way if you were wondering, cause like.. they were iconic and highkey inspired this
> 
> please feel free to follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/softieyms)  
> and please if i have any information wrong please don't hesitate let me know through my [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/petalmins)  
> and please do leave kudos and comments loves thank you so much!


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